The World Around Us: Part 4
by angelkittysmith
Summary: My friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald host more discussions, dinner outings, and outings to other places around the Pittsburgh area. My other friends Sarah, James, and Henri are also invited to these outings. NOTE: I do NOT own Liberty's Kids or Wizards of Waverly Place. Disney Channel and DiC Entertainment do.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Shopping and Dinner in the Strip District

The next day, my best friend, Emily Mistle and I, as well as Emily's siblings, Michael and Erin, joined Sarah, James, and Henri, as well as some of my other friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald in the Strip District for shopping and dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Casa Reyna. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "We just got some ice cream in Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor," James told us. "It's one of our favorite places to get ice cream," Henri chimed in. Alex, Justin, and Max soon arrived. "Sorry we're late, guys," Alex apologized. "I was getting my nails done in Squirrel Hill." "You're not late for anything, Alex," Emily remarked. "The trouble is not that I'm late, guys," Alex explained. "What's wrong, Alex?" Sarah asked. "I can't tell you guys," Alex told us. "Oh, come on, Alex," I encouraged my friend. "We're your best friends. You can tell us anything." "Okay, but do you promise not to laugh at me?" Alex asked. "We would never do that," Sarah remarked. "Now, what's wrong?" "I feel like I'm gaining weight," Alex told us. "Why are you gaining weight?" Sarah asked. "Because I tried on the dress I bought at the Monroeville Mall, and it was a size too small," Alex explained. She sighed. "I've always been a size medium. I've never been a size large before in my life." "What caused the weight gain?" I asked. "Justin, Max, and I have been taking advantage of Rita's in Squirrel Hill giving out free ice cream cones for the first day of spring," Alex explained. "Rita's opened for the season around my birthday," Justin explained. "It is one of our favorite places to get ice cream, just like Klavon's in the Strip District is your favorite place," Max chimed in. "Good thing we got ice cream beforehand, huh, James?" Henri asked. "I'm sorry about all of this, Justin," Max apologized. "Guys, let's just walk around the Strip District on this beautiful, sunny day before we get dinner," I suggested. "We're going to Casa Reyna for dinner," Alex told us. "It's a Mexican restaurant." "We've been to that restaurant before," Sarah stated. "Sometimes after work, we come here. What other restaurants in the Strip District have you been to?" "Well, Sarah, we have been to Luke Wholey's Wild Alaskan Grille and Peppi's Old Tyme Sandwich Shop so far this spring," Alex explained. "There's Roland's Seafood Grill," Justin noticed. "I remember going with you guys there last summer," James remembered. "Let's not forget about Lidia's Italian Restaurant," Max remembered. "I just had Italian food for dinner last night," Henri remarked. "I remember going to Lidia's last fall, too," Erin chimed in. "Yes, guys, the Strip District has so many nice restaurants," Michael told everyone. "But, Angel, Emily, Erin, and I are in the mood for Mexican food!" "Michael!" James exclaimed. "So good to see you again!" "Good to see you too, James," Michael agreed. "Do you have Facebook, Justin?" "No, I don't, Michael," Justin replied. "Otherwise, I would love to be Facebook friends with James like Mrs. Shay is." "I'm still good friends with you, Justin, whether you have Facebook or not," James pointed out. "Alex, don't worry so much about your weight and just have a nice dinner," Sarah encouraged. "Okay, Sarah," Alex agreed. "I'll try to." We got seated at a table in Casa Reyna. "So, how have things been, Sarah?" Alex asked. "I heard that you and Robert got back together again." "Yes, we did, Alex," Sarah replied. "We went to Park Bruges in Highland Park for dinner on Friday night, and then took a walk around the reservoir." The _Cuban Overture_ was playing on the stereo. "This is the song that I reunited with one of my old boyfriends, Benedict over," Sarah remembered. "I know that," Alex remembered, "because you already told me." "Romance is just hard sometimes, isn't it?" Sarah asked. "I had a hard time asking Justin to prom my senior year, but I knew that he always wanted to go with me," Alex remembered. "I wonder what it would be like if Justin and I got married. Do you think it would be like if you and Robert got married?" "I know I will marry somebody eventually," Sarah pointed out, "maybe not Robert." "Oh yeah," I agreed. "Robert and Sarah Cooksey- that would be weird since I knew your last name has always been Phillips!" "Alex Evans?" Alex asked. "That would be weird, too." Pretty soon, our food came. I ordered steak fajitas, Emily ordered shrimp tacos, Michael ordered black bean vegetarian tacos, Erin ordered classic beef tacos, Sarah ordered chicken fajitas, James ordered Cuatro Moles Tradicionales, Henri ordered the Enchiladas Monterrey, A La Parrilla, Alex ordered the La Margarita Salad, Justin ordered beef quesadillas, and Max ordered the Burrito Reynosa with beef. "I can see why you didn't want any appetizers or desserts, Alex," I noticed. "Because you are trying to lose weight in order to get back down to a size medium." "Yeah, those baskets of tortilla chips most Mexican restaurants bring out are so fattening," Alex agreed. "I need something light and easy, like a salad!" "You shouldn't have been going out and eating ice cream every day," Sarah remarked. "It's not healthy for you." "Yeah, Alex," I agreed with my friend. "If you are craving ice cream when the weather gets nicer, try low-fat frozen yogurt instead." I paused for a second. "What are some junky snacks that you guys crave, and some healthy snacks that you guys could substitute?" "I like chocolate chip cookies," Justin stated, "but Fig Newtons are a classic cookie that is yummy and less caloric." "Sarah and I both crave potato chips on occasion," James stated, "but popcorn is a guilty pleasure of mine that is not quite as guilty." "And, I crave pretzels to give me a break from fruits and vegetables," Sarah added. "I love to eat candy bars once a week," Henri stated, "but I realized that granola bars are much less caloric, but still tasty." Henri paused for a second. "What about you, Max?" Henri asked. "What is your junky snack craving and what is something healthy that you could replace it with?" "Well, Henri," Max replied, "I'm glad you asked because I love homemade brownies so much, although I realized that low-fat chocolate pudding is a much healthier way to satisfy my chocolate craving." The song _Bolero de Strings_ played on the stereo. "I think I remember this romantic song playing before our prom," Alex remembered. "Oh, if you want, Sarah, I can e-mail you an autocopy of us playing the _Cuban Overture_ in jazz band." "Sure, Alex," Sarah agreed. "I would love that." "Can you also do me another favor?" Alex asked. "Can you go with me to Monroeville Mall to return the dress and shoes I bought for at least a bigger size since I am off from work on Tuesday?" "I can go with you after I am finished with work," Sarah agreed. "Let's go home, guys," I told Emily, Michael, and Erin. "All this talk of food and healthy snacks is making me hungry, and I am sure that Michael has some healthy snacks for us to eat in the car on the way home." The Mistles drove me back to Mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Happy Easter!

The next day was Easter Sunday when I met Sarah, James, and Henri, as well some of my other friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald at their house in Squirrel Hill. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Happy Easter!" "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Happy Easter to you, too!" "Our first stop is off to the Blue Slide Playground at Beechwood Boulevard and Nicholson Street," Alex happily announced. We walked down Darlington Road and Beechwood Boulevard to the first destination, where I handed out Easter baskets to everyone. Sarah paired up with Alex, James paired up with Justin, and Henri paired up with Max. I decided to accompany Sarah and Alex on their walk. "Don't worry, guys," Alex told me and Sarah. "I know where we're going. We should just start off taking the Riverview Trail and see where we go from here." Unfortunately, we ended up getting lost zigzagging through Frick Park, and eventually had to start over again since we ended up back at the Squirrel Hill baseball field, which was pretty much where we began the scavenger hunt. "No wonder I like Schenley Park more than Frick Park," Sarah admitted. "All the boys are way ahead of us now." "Well, both public parks have complicated hiking trails like these, Sarah," Alex reminded Sarah. "This also kinda reminds me of taking gym class back in middle school," Sarah told me and Alex. "You know, how I felt insecure about taking gym class and changing clothes in front of others, as well as doing standard exercises." "I felt that way back in middle school, too, Sarah," Alex agreed. "Maybe, you were just feeling a little bit nervous about making a mistake in front of others." "I bet you're feeling the same way right now, Alex," I pointed out. "Is that true?" "I guess since it's a competitive scavenger hunt, that's the case," Sarah assumed. "We need to try and catch up to the boys as soon as possible," Alex told us. We quickly followed all the trails from the Riverview Extension Trail to the Falls Ravine Trail and finally the Clayton Loop in order to get to the playground at Forbes and Braddock Avenues. We also found some Easter eggs and candy along the way, including a nightlight shaped like an Easter egg for Alex's room. We met James, Henri, Justin, and Max at the Forbes and Braddock playground, where they were playing games on the playground. We also found more Easter eggs and candy at the playground before we moved on to the final destination of our Easter hunt: Reynolds Street and Homewood Avenue. Despite James and Justin winning the hike halfway through the scavenger hunt, Henri and Max won at the end. The prize was a giant stuffed bunny. Sarah, James, and Henri ended up keeping the bunny, as Alex, Justin, and Max kept the nightlight shaped like an Easter egg. While Sarah, James, and Henri took an Uber back to Squirrel Hill to get ready for dinner, we stopped at Alex's parents' house in Regent Square to change clothes and go to the Edgewood Country Club for dinner. "So, is everybody having a good Easter so far?" I asked my friends. "We sure are, Angel," Sarah replied. "The menu is cobb salad, fried chicken, glazed ham with fresh pineapple, parsley potatoes, green beans almandine, and marble cake shaped like an Easter bunny," Alex announced. "Do you guys like all of those foods?" James asked. "Yes, we do," Justin replied. "It was a meal that we had back at Angel's music concert at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center many years ago." "Where is the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center?" Henri asked. "Near Johnstown," Max replied. "I already know that since I went to college near there." After dinner, Sarah, James, and Henri drove me back to Mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Thanks for a great Easter, everyone!" I informed my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Things We Like About Pittsburgh

The next day, my mom, Nadine drove me up to the Grand Concourse for my birthday brunch, where I met up with Sarah, James, and Henri, as well as some more of my other friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. Everyone was dressed formally and appropriately for the occasion, despite the chilly weather. "You guys have a very diverse and complex menu of hors d'eourves, I see," I told my friends. "Fall produce like red and golden beets, purple potatoes, and napa cabbage," Sarah pointed out, "as well as winter produce like mustard greens, grapefruit, and turnip." "Semi-hard cheeses like Swiss, blue cheeses like gorgonzola, and semi-soft cheeses like Monterey Jack," James added. "Egg noodles like the medium kind, filled pasta like tortellini, and shape pasta like orecchiette," Henri chimed in. "Spring produce like artichokes, rhubarb, and asparagus," Alex pointed out, "as well as summer produce like roma tomatoes, green beans, and okra." "Hard cheeses like Manchego, soft-ripened cheeses like brie, and fresh cheeses like ricotta," Justin added. "Tube pasta like cavatappi, long pasta like fettuccine, and tiny pasta like couscous," Max chimed in. "All of these foods sound downright yummy," I agreed with my friends. "Uh-huh," Mom agreed. "I would love a meal like that!" We all took our seat at a table, and Sarah and Alex gave me presents. I also ran into the singing birthday card with the song "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang that Alex bought at Monroeville Mall. Alex gave me some more DVDs that she recorded of movies that she liked and thought that I would like, including the one Rick Sebak special. Sarah gave me an iTunes gift card. "Thanks for the gifts, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. As well as the food we brought, there were also some favorites that we liked from the regular brunch menu for both breakfast and lunch. "I didn't know there was such a thing as purple potatoes, Sarah," Mom remarked. "Well, the home fries and scalloped potatoes were made with them," Sarah told us. "You said before that you didn't even consider potatoes to be a vegetable, Sarah," I remarked. "They're not," Sarah agreed with me. "They are more of a starch." "Mom also told me that grapefruit is not a winter fruit, since it grows in warm climates like California and Florida," I reminded Sarah. "That's weird," Sarah told me. "I remember receiving a grapefruit at Christmastime, along with other citrus fruits. And let me tell you, citrus fruits are very popular around Christmastime." "You also have cherries on your dress," I noticed, looking at Sarah's sundress. "What season are cherries the most popular during?" "I would say, spring and summer," Sarah replied. "Alex would know more about this stuff since she is in charge of these types of produce, not me." "Well, I have strawberries on my pink dress, but I unfortunately did not choose them this time around," Alex told me. "What did you choose, Alex?" Mom asked. "I chose asparagus because I have that vegetable every Easter, but not this year since we had so many other foods," Alex stated, "so I decided to have asparagus today instead." "You cooked the green beans in my favorite way, Alex," I noticed. "What way is that, Angel?" Alex asked. "Ginger sesame green bean stir-fry, of course," I replied. "I didn't know you liked green beans cooked that way," Alex told me. "Well, they are healthier than green bean casserole," I told my friend. "Oh, I love eating green bean casserole, especially at Thanksgiving," Alex stated. "Speaking of which, I think I am doing better with my weight." "I actually remember you buying that dress at Monroeville Mall," I stated. "Yeah, and then Sarah had to go with me to exchange it and get a different size," Alex also remembered, "and it is actually a little bit chilly for us both to be wearing wedge sandals." "I knew you would probably wear sandals, but probably not Sarah," I stated. "She only wears those in the summer." "Sarah thought that they would look better with her outfit," Alex told me. "Whatever," I stated. I turned to Mom. "Can I go get some more food and see what the boys are up to?" I asked Mom. "Sure," Mom replied. "Why not?" I went back to the buffet and spotted James and Justin at the cheese section. "You chose Swiss this time around instead of cheddar, James," I noticed. "But, I always thought that cheddar was your favorite." "Well, I decided to choose my second favorite cheese, Swiss, just to shake things up a bit," James told me. "Do you like pepper jack cheese, James?" Justin asked. "Not really, Justin," James replied. "Just a little bit too spicy for me." "I like ricotta cheese, which is a fresh cheese, on tasty breakfast breads like bagels and English muffins," Justin stated. Then, I spotted Henri and Max getting pasta. "Since when does the Grand Concourse serve egg noodles?" Henri asked. "Since you brought them in, Henri," Max pointed out. "I have always loved the Grand Concourse's fettuccine alfredo." "Do you guys like tomato sauce with your pasta?" I asked. "It's okay, but butter and cream are better," Henri replied. "Don't you agree, Max?" "Right," Max agreed. Not to mention, Sarah, Alex, and I had some delicious pancakes, waffles, and omelets, as well as ice cream sundaes, that were placed outside of the brunch stations. Sarah, James, and Henri also took me to a Pirates game briefly before our meeting at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill. "I like a lot of things about Pittsburgh," I told my friends. "Don't you agree?" "Oh yeah," Alex agreed. "There is a lot to like about Pittsburgh." "Why don't you go first, Sarah?" I asked my best friend. "Tell us one thing that you like about Pittsburgh." "Well, I love all the great colleges and universities around here," Sarah told me. "I was originally planning to go to Pitt just like you, Alex, but I decided to go to Carnegie Mellon University with my older stepbrother, James, and pretty soon, Henri wanted to attend CMU, as well." "No wonder I thought that you guys went to Pitt at first," Alex admitted, "but CMU is a great college, too." "That's right," I agreed. "Since they are both in the busy neighborhood of Oakland." "Not to mention, I was in a great senior teaching program that had brilliant students growing up in the city of Pittsburgh. So, that is one good thing to like about Pittsburgh." "What do you like about Pittsburgh, James?" I asked. "Well, I love all of the great food that Pittsburgh serves, like halushki, pierogies, kolbasi, stuffed cabbage, city chicken, and chipped ham," James told me. "Not to mention, there are lots of great restaurants by our apartment on Forbes Avenue, such as Lulu's Noodles, Uncle Sam's Subs, the Original Hot Dog Shop, and my personal favorite, Primanti Bros., and for dessert, sometimes during the summer, my siblings and I like to go to Dave & Andy's Homemade Ice Cream." "You have an Uncle Sam's Subs?" Justin asked. "So do we." "We should go there sometime," I told my friends. "Especially since we have been to so many great restaurants near your house, such as Mineo's Pizza Place, How Lee, and most recently, the Pastoli's Pizza and Pasta recipe." "We have been to a lot more restaurants than those," James pointed out, "but there is still a lot more great food to enjoy here in the city of Pittsburgh other than just the cheeses I ate at the Grand Concourse earlier today. So, that is another good thing to like about Pittsburgh." "What do you like about Pittsburgh, Henri?" I asked. "Well, I love all of our sports teams, like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Pittsburgh Steelers," Henri replied. "I also love when James takes us all out to baseball games, like we were just at, and we like to watch the football games on TV and attend some hockey games while we have the chance." "I am also a huge fan of the Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers," Max agreed. "Although I do feel bummed out that Andrew McCutchen left the Pirates team." "Remember that those teams play in unsafe neighborhoods like the North Side and the Hill District," I reminded everyone. "Other than sports, stay away from those unsafe neighborhoods! I told both of you guys this information at previous meetings." "I just think that we have the best sports teams in the whole state of Pennsylvania, and that is another good thing to like about Pittsburgh." "What do you like about Pittsburgh, Alex?" I asked my other best friend. "That's easy," Alex replied. "All of the wonderful places to go, like Sandcastle, Kennywood, the Waterfront, Monroeville Mall, and even an amusement park called Idlewild in Westmoreland County. I have never been there before, but I would like to give it a try." "Do you guys like living in Squirrel Hill and Oakland more than in Natrona Heights?" "Of course we do, Angel," Alex replied. "My old house on Olive Avenue was boring and nothing special. I just lived there so I could go to MSG Academy in Freeport, and that was when my senior class took a trip to Sandcastle Water Park. Not to mention, we got lost!" "Can we maybe go to places like Sandcastle this summer if the weather is nice?" Sarah asked. "Of course," Alex replied. "There are also some great parks near where I live, with my personal favorite being Frick Park, since my parents live right by Frick, across from the tennis courts. I must admit that Harrison Hills Park was nothing like that." "Well, there is also Schenley Park near where we live," Sarah pointed out. "And, also Highland Park near where I live," I added. "So, that is another thing to like about Pittsburgh." "There is also a great public transportation system here that I can use when I don't feel like driving," Alex added. "Well, I think the weather in Pittsburgh is one thing to like about living here," Justin pointed out. "It's better than when I went to Mercyhurst College, where I was stuck in the snow belt." "Erie does get a lot of snow, huh?" James asked. "I agree that that is not the best neighborhood for a summer weather lover like me." "Or, a spring weather lover like me," Justin pointed out. "Pittsburgh has the best weather out of every city in Pennsylvania, because of where we are placed. So, that is definitely another thing to like about Pittsburgh." "Well, I think that Pittsburgh's unique language is definitely something to like about living in Pittsburgh," Max pointed out. "Like 'Yinz', 'Slippy', 'Buggy', 'Gumband', 'the 'Burgh', 'Redd up', 'N'at,' 'Stillers,' 'dahntahn,' 'worsher,' and 'arn'." "I am familiar with all these Pittsburgh's terms," Henri chimed in. "Especially since we learned about using this type of language at a previous meeting at Angel's house." "What about you, Angel?" Sarah asked me. "What do you like about Pittsburgh?" Alex asked me. "Well, I like the fact that Pittsburgh is a generally safe town," I told everyone, "except for a few neighborhoods, like as mentioned before, the Hill District and the North Side, particularly the central part, and some eastern neighborhoods like Homewood, Wilkinsburg, Lincoln-Larimer, Hazelwood, and Upper Homestead, except for the Waterfront, of course." "I just love living in Pittsburgh in general, especially the southern and eastern portions of the neighborhood," Alex admitted. Pretty soon, it was time for me to leave. "Thanks for a great day, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Sergeant Stubby: An American Hero

The next day, I went out with Sarah, James, and Henri, as well as my other best friends, Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald at the Loew's Waterfront Theater in Homestead to see the new movie _Sergeant Stubby: An American Hero_. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "I can't wait to see this movie, Alex," I told my other best friend. "You guys will love this movie," Alex told us. "It is a movie based on a true story, which I love these types of movies." "How long is the movie?" Sarah asked. "Is it super long like those other movies we have seen in theaters in the past, like _Wonder Woman_ and _Justice League_?" "It's just an hour long, Sarah," Alex replied. Sarah, James, Henri, and I purchased popcorn and juice, while Alex, Justin, and Max went inside the movie theater. The movie was based on a true story where a man named Robert Conroy was fighting in the United States World War I, and his dog, Stubby became a hero during the war. Afterwards, one of my other best friends, Emily Mistle, and her siblings, Michael and Erin treated us to dinner at Red Robin. We all had burgers, steak fries, freckled lemonade, and milkshakes. "The main character's name was Robert," Sarah remembered. "That's the name of my boyfriend." "I thought that was a good choice of a movie, Max," Henri admitted. "I wish that John Quincy would have appreciated these types of movies during my days in the support group with him." "I don't think most support groups watch these types of movies, Henri," Max pointed out. "Do you like these kinds of movies based on real life, Justin?" James asked. "Of course, James," Justin replied. "Since I became MSG Academy Salutatorian, and just before I attended Mercyhurst University, I got into history-type movies!" "That was one of the best movies I ever saw, Alex," Sarah admitted. "Thank you for suggesting it!" "You're welcome, Sarah," Alex replied. "The movie also brings back positive memories of my high school days, with me eventually receiving MSG Academy Valedictorian at my graduation ceremony." "You girls are both very smart people," I pointed out. "That's one of the things I like about both of you." "I also have some ideas for summer outings in store," Alex told us. "And, I also made sure that these outings were with you guys." "What kinds of outings do you have planned for us, Alex?" Sarah asked. "Well, they are outings that you guys like and we like, like Sandcastle and Kennywood, of course, and maybe another movie here in the Waterfront, as well as the usual end-of-month dinner outing and discussion group at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill with dinner afterward," Alex told us. "Can we maybe do a summer brunch at the Grand Concourse?" I asked. "We'll see, Angel," Alex replied. Emily, Michael, and Erin also had plans to take me out to Dave and Andy's Homemade Ice Cream in Oakland for dessert. "Thanks for a great day, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Bowling at Brunswick Zone Playmor Bowl

The next day, I met up with Sarah, James, and Henri, as well as some of my other best friends, Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald, at Brunswick Zone Playmor Bowl in West Mifflin for bowling with another one of my best friends, Emily Mistle and her younger siblings Kerry, Caden, Allison, and Tony. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Thanks for coming to bowling, guys!" Emily thanked us. "You're welcome, Emily," Alex replied. While Kerry, Caden, Allison, and Tony got on a team to bowl, Emily, Sarah, Alex, and I got on one team to bowl, while James, Henri, Justin, and Max got on another. Emily, Sarah, and Alex all helped me with my bowling since it took practice and I wanted to try and earn more strikes and spares. Then, we all got lunch to eat. "Good to see you again, Sarah," Kerry greeted. "You must seem awfully friendly, considering how much younger you are than me," Sarah remarked. "Do I know you?" Allison asked Alex. "Of course," Alex replied. "I am friends with Carly and Sarah. My name is Alex." "I'm Allison, and my 8th birthday celebration was on Friday," Allison explained. "Happy late birthday," Alex wished Allison. "Thanks," Allison replied. "Do you want to try one of my nacho chips with hummus, Sarah?" Kerry asked. "Sure," Sarah replied. "I would love to." Sarah dipped a nacho chip into the hummus and enjoyed it. "What is that you're eating, Allison?" Alex asked. "Flatbread with pesto sauce," Allison asked. "You like pesto sauce, Allison?" Alex asked. "Yes," Allison replied. "That's good," Alex remarked. "I do, too." Caden shared some barbecue chicken wings with James and Justin, and Tony shared some pretzel bites and tapenade with Henri and Max. I ate a hot dog with mustard, and Emily ate a hamburger with canola mayonnaise. Then, we played arcade games. I won awesome prizes for the kids, like soldier action figures and necklaces. We then returned to Elliott's BBQ and Steakhouse in Pleasant Hills for dinner after bowling. Sarah ordered chicken parmesan, James ordered beef brisket, Henri ordered half a rack of ribs, Alex ordered a grilled chicken salad, Justin ordered a barbecue bacon cheeseburger with fries, Max ordered a barbecued pulled pork sandwich with fries, and I ordered flank steak with potato wedges and spinach salad. "This restaurant is nice, Alex," Sarah remarked, "but I was hoping that maybe we could go somewhere in Station Square for dinner tonight." "Well, we chose this restaurant because we liked it after we went bowling last time, Sarah," Alex explained. "Well, I was just thinking of how much Angel liked her birthday dinner at Station Square one year, especially with her chicken parmesan dinner that she ate for the first time," Sarah explained. "That reminds me," I told my friends. "Do you guys want to try Buca di Beppo sometime?" "It's a good Italian restaurant," Alex explained. "What are the desserts you have shaped like Mickey Mouse, James?" Justin asked. "They are brownies, Justin," James replied. "I was going to give a brownie to each of you guys, since we are leaving for Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida tomorrow evening." "What are your plans for visiting Disney World, Henri?" Max asked. "Well Max," Henri replied, "we have plans to visit our relatives first, and then we plan to go to all the amusement parks from there." "I'm really going to miss you, Sarah," Alex replied. "I'll miss you too, Alex," Sarah replied. "You still never told us what amusement parks you were going to visit," I told my friend. "Blizzard Beach, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Universal's Islands of Adventure, and Medieval Times," Sarah replied. "Wow, Sarah," Alex replied. "That's so cool. Did I mention that I already have plans for Sandcastle and Kennywood in August, and that I am inviting you guys to come, as well?" "Yes, Alex," Sarah replied. "You did mention that." "It's funny how the very last thing I did with you guys before Edinboro was Kennywood," I remarked. "Yes, and that was just before you went to college at Edinboro University, Angel," Alex agreed. Alex, Sarah, and I gave each other a group hug. Pretty soon, Sarah, James, and Henri drove me back to Mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


End file.
